Hey all.....got a chance to go for a spin on a surfboard yesterday while the wind was a bit light. After discovering I could go upwind like a train, I've decided I need to have one for lighter days. I've read that you should look for an epoxy board if you're gonna kite it, but HTF do I tell if it's epoxy or something else?? I went into Crime Converters today and they had a few boards, but I have NFI how to tell what I'm looking at.
You won't find an epoxy board in Crime Converters !
They mostly have crap poly boards,full of heel dents !
Check the Forum "for sales". Go for a brand name (Surftech,Underground,slingy,North,etc) etc.)
Epoxy boards dont have a stringer. or stinger , the wooden part up the centre of the board. Some paint one on, but you can tell its not wood. They also look more like plastic.
They are usually finished in a solid colour.
Epoxy and the hard foam shell they use is not pretty !
Epoxy boards are VERY hard and VERY light.
Oh yes,and VERY expensive !
Just checked out Crime Converters again......all the boards there have a proper wood stringer in them, so looks like they're not gonna be any good. Bollocks to that..... [}:)]
Epoxy boards are made from hard epoxy ( like a plastic ) normal surfboards are made from fibreglass resin and foam and have a wood stringer for strength.
If you place the two side by side you will easily tell the difference, also if you squeeze the board rails between your thumb and forefinger the epoxy will be tuff as nuts and the pure surfboard will have a little bit of give ( or a lot if it is waterlogged and stuffed ).
I am not suggesting you go around to shops squeezing new boards ( people wil get pretty pissed if you are leaving your thumb indents on brand spankers) but if you are at "crime converters " squeeze away.
just went to a surfshop and squeezed an epoxy and a fiberglass one. I found the epoxy one had a bit of give in it as well. There were 2 there, so i tested both in case the first one was a dud. Maybe i'm just a little too strong for it 
But on a serious note, is there different grade epoxy boards? I had never noticed the painted on strut before. classic.
Surfboards have evolved unbelievably in the last 5years, you can generalise slightly and say epoxy v fibreglass, but there's loads more to it.
Some manu's tried and then went back while others are progressing and producing some unreal results, firewire as an example.
firewiresurfboards.com/
Do a search at www.surfmachine.com.au/outlets.html for you nearest shop.
I usually speak to my local shaper when i have questions like this and he explains away. Like most sports nuts they are happy to talk for hours on end, handy really as i am a good listener. 
